At-risk students participate in CampUs

Dozens of at-risk middle school students in the After-School All-Stars program are attending the second annual CampUs Las Vegas July 9-14 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Students participate in workshops to meet with influential and successful community members, learn about high school graduation requirements, complete a mock college application, engage in community service learning activities and attend a student awards ceremony, all while staying in UNLV's dormitories.

CampUs is a national program involving more than 500 youth in 10 cities throughout the United States. It was created by After-School All-Stars in response to America's high school dropout crisis.

"Educational retention is a primary focus for our organization," said Jacqueline Locks, executive director for After-School All-Stars Las Vegas. "When kids are engaged in school, learning new things and developing new skills, they acquire the confidence and drive to succeed in school and life. And we want all our kids to be successful."

CampUs Las Vegas is a collaborative community program, hosted in partnership with UNLV's Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach. Funding is provided from the Nevada College Access Challenge Grant, which is sponsored by the Nevada System of Higher Education in its efforts to increase the number of new college entrants, particularly for low-income, underrepresented and/or underserved students in the state. Other major sponsors include Windsong Trust and Taco Bell's Foundation for Teens.

The CampUs Las Vegas summer program builds upon We Are Ready, After-School All-Stars' middle to high school transition program that takes place during the school year. This program includes dozens of activities designed to educate and excite youth about furthering their education. Since the program's inception in 2010, more than 250 youth have participated in the program.

Since its inception, After-School All-Stars has positively affected the lives of more than 100,000 Southern Nevada youth. Today, there are more than 6,000 youth from 15 different schools participating in the program. For more information, visit www.asaslv.org or call 770-7601.